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IS-2
The IS-2 heavy tank was designed to replace the aging KV tanks as the Guards heavy breakthrough units. It was equipped with the massive D25-T 122mm gun for hunting the enemy heavy tanks. With 120mm armour on the front and 90mm on the side, the tank was well protected for duty on the eastern front. Overview The IS-2 first saw action in the Spring of 1944. IS-2 units were assigned to important operations and often led the initial assaults as they did in Operation Bagration in June 1944. There were 21 tanks in the regiment leading the shock armies of the Soviet Union into battle. When the IS-2 heavy tank entered service with the Guards Heavy Tank Companies of the Red Army, they were the most powerful tanks in the world. Better armoured than the German Tiger, they mounted a 122mm gun capable of destroying any tank in service or smashing an anti-tank gun nest in a single hit, ideal for hunting the enemy heavy tanks and firing HE (High Explosive) rounds into fortified enemy positions. The IS-2 obr 1944 introduced a faster-loading version of the gun, the D25-T with a double-baffle muzzle brake and better fire-control. It also featured a simpler hull front without a step instead using a flat, sloping glacis armour plate. Sometimes referred to as the IS-2m (lowercase 'm'), but this official designation was not used until the modernisation of the tank by the Soviets in the 1950s (IS-2M, uppercase 'M'). In Flames of War The IS-2 heavy tank is a terror on the battlefield. It has front armour of 10, side of 8 and top armour of 2. Its gun will liquidate enemy armour with Anti-tank 15 and Firepower 2+. It is a slow tank, but this helps them coordinate with infantry better. Once in the assault, the IS-2 will dominate enemy infantry with its heavy top armour and its rear-firing machine-gun, which makes enemy infantry re-roll successful hits in assaults. IS-2 obr 1943 The IS (Iosif Stalin) heavy tank in often referred to as the “tank of victory” in Soviet sources. The development of the IS series of tanks started in late 1942, but only really gained momentum in 1943 as a response to the performance of the German Panther and Tiger tanks at the battle of Kursk. Its main disadvantage of the gun was its huge, two-part ammunition, which was difficult and slow to load, and only allowed 28 rounds to be carried. But it proved slightly lighter and faster than the heaviest KV model 1942 tank, with thicker front armour and an improved turret design. IS-2 obr 1944 The definitive and most numerous variant of the IS-2, the 1944 model is sometimes referred to as the 'IS-2m' - note the lower-case 'm', not to be confused with the IS-2M, which was the modernised version used in the 1950s. It carried the same D-25T 122mm gun, but with an improved breech mechanism for slightly faster loading. However, with its unwieldy two-part ammunition, it was still fairly slow, so it retains ROF 1. Its main difference was a simpler cast hull front, which was easier to produce and replaced the stepped front with a smooth, sloping glacis. The result is the IS-2 obr 1944 has 11 front armour in Flames Of War. Model kits Metal/resin * SU093 IS-2 obr.1944 (a single tank) * SBX08 IS-2 Tankovy Battalion (five models with crew figurines and decal sheets) Plastic * SBX36 IS-2 Guards Heavy Tank Company (five plastic IS-2 with IS-2m hull options and IS-1 gun options, commander sprue, and decal sheet) * TANKS12 IS-2 Tank Expansion set (one model with unit and upgrade cards) * SUAB08 Soviet Tank Shock Group (two IS-2 models included) Model assembly Metal and resin sets Those are composed of resin hull, resin turret, soft metal threads, soft metal gun barrel, commander's cupola, and commander figurine. The model can be assembled within 10 minutes, though painting the threads under the fenders might be troublesome. Plastic sets * Begin assembly by gluing the tracks onto the hull. The keys ensure the tracks are on the correct sides. * Add the body to the hull. You have the choice between the IS-2 obr 1944 hull top and the IS-2 obr 1943/IS-85 hull top. * Now we begin assembly of the turret. Start off by gluing the top and bottom together, then choose the appropriate turret front. The part with the wider gun mantlet is correct for the IS-2 obr 1944, and for most IS-2 obr 1943 tanks. The narrower mantlet is for the IS-85, and some early production IS-2 obr 1943 vehicles. * Next, add the gun. The one with the muzzle brake is the 122mm gun for the IS-2 obr 1943 and obr 1944. The straight, tapered gun is the 85mm gun for the IS-85. Both guns are keyed at the top to ensure correct alignment. * Once the bond between the gun and mantlet has cured glue it to the turret body. * Flip the turret over and glue the turret pin into the bottom. * Next glue on the hatch, the DSHK AA machine-gun and the turret. You can choose between a closed or open hatch. AA machine-guns always seem to be the part of a tank that is most likely to get broken off and lost, so a spare is included on the sprue. * Next glue on the turret rear MG. * Adding the external fuel drums. The standard layout was two on each side of the hull. But historical photos commonly show vehicles with some or all of the tanks removed, so feel free to leave some off to give your force some variety. * There is also an option to add spare tracks to the front of the hull. * Simply place the turret onto the body without gluing, so you can rotate the turret to point at the shooting target. TANKS12-04.png|The model assembly step-by-step. IS-2 turret assembly.JPG|A 5 gram iron rim has been fitted inside the IS-2 turret. SSO200.jpg|The IS-2 sprues. Painting Soviet tanks used in WW2 were most commonly painted deep green overall, called 4BO in official Russian sources. Some units did use camouflage patterns, though it was not a common practice. Tank turrets were usually adorned with tactical numbers, company/battalion/regiment markings and slogans written in Cyrillic; tanks from Guards Tank Regiments had the Guards emblem painted (a red Soviet star inside a golden wreath and with a red flag). Regular red Soviet stars were more common on Lend-Lease tanks than Soviet-built ones before late 1944. During the Battle of Berlin in 1945, the Soviets painted white bars and rectangles on turrets for aerial identification. During the winter, a whitewash was commonly applied to tanks as a mean of camouflage. Suggested paints: Primer/base colour * Battlefront Tankovy Green* * Army Painted Army Green* * Humbrol H86 green * Citadel Base Castellan Green* * Citadel Caliban Green * Citadel Waaagh! Flesh* The asterisk (*) indicates colour tones close to 4BO tone. Details * any steel metalizer (for exposed metal parts and threads) * any tone of brown (for camouflage patterns) * Citadel Base Ceramite White (whitewash, winter camouflage) Combat efficiency The most expensive unit in the Late-War Soviet arsenal - a single IS-2 in V4 costs 140 points, while the IS-2M variant - 150 points per tank. A full-strength five-tank company of IS-2 tanks costs 700 points (755 points for IS-2M), though these tanks are worth their price. With a frontal armour comparable to the Panther and side/rear armour the same as in the Tiger, the IS-2 has a powerful 122mm gun with Anti-Tank 15 and Firepower 2+, which surpasses most of the German and Allied tanks. The tank's main drawback is Slow Firing special rule, limiting the gun's accuracy when firing on the move. For games played above the 1700 point limit, a two- or three-company tank regiment (11 or 17 tanks) will make a force difficult to stop when the tanks are hurled in masses. Otherwise, it depends on the opponent the tanks are hurled against - the 122mm gun is a lethal weapon against enemy infantry, guns, unarmoured vehicles and most of enemy tanks with the exception of King Tiger, Jadgtiger, Super Pershing and Churchill VIII. The latter two can defend the shots in the frontal armour with a little luck, while the aforesaid German heavy tanks are impervious to front armour shots from IS-2's gun. Any weapon with Anti-Tank value above 10 might harm IS-2's side and rear armour, weapons with AT 12 (for IS-2) and 13 (for IS-2m) upwards pose a potential threat to the tank's front armour. British 17-Pounder guns, American 90mm guns in Pershing tanks and M36 Jackson and German 88mm anti-tank guns have good chances of piercing IS-2's front armour. The 128mm gun in Jadgtiger easily breaks IS-2's front plate without save roll. Image gallery SBX08.jpg|The SBX08 box cover art. It was repeated in later SBX36 set. SBX08a.jpg|The SBX08 box rear. SBX36.jpg|The SBX36 box cover art. SBX36a.jpg TANKS12-01.jpg|The TANKS12 blister card. The opposite side contains an assembly manual. IS Company (1).JPG|The IS-2 tank company I play. Usually deploy five tanks as a support for T-34/85s. 1911218_ (1).JPG|A proof that IS-2 tanks are not invincible and may be stopped with proper means. Soviet heavy tank company late war.png|A diagram for a Soviet Heavy Tank Regiment. IS-2 tanks are the basic option. Category:Soviet Category:Tanks Category:Armoured Tanks Category:Tank Teams Category:Late-war Category:Formations Category:Support Category:Under Construction Category:Vehicles